Soza, Wade among award winners at UTSA football banquet

SAN ANTONIO — The UTSA football team held its first awards banquet Friday night at the Alamodome and announced its award winners from last season.

The award winners were:

Offensive player of the year: Quarterback Eric Soza. Soza, from Beeville Jones, threw for 2,719 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for 369 yards and seven more scores in his final season with the Roadrunners.

Defensive player of the year: Safety Triston Wade. Wade, from Tyler John Tyler, posted a team-leading 94 tackles and two interceptions. Wade will be a senior in 2014.

Hammer Award: Wade. The award goes weekly to the player delivering the hardest hit. Wade won it three times last season.

Special teams player of the year: Deep snapper Jesse Medrano. Medrano, from San Antonio Jay High School, helped the team connect on all 38 of its extra-point attempts and another 11 field goals in addition to setting up a 39.2-yard punting average. Medrano will be a senior in 2014.

Offensive scout team player of the year: Lineman Reed Darragh. Darragh, from Buda Hays, will be a redshirt freshman in 2014.

Defensive scout team player of the year: Lineman Kennedy Ubabuike. Ubabuike is from San Antonio’s Warren High School and is a transfer from Texas A&M-Kingsville. He will be a junior in 2014.

Spring game set: The UTSA Football Fiesta Spring Game is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Alamodome. The public is invited, and admission is free.